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My diving friend Tim lives in Crisfield but was going up to Frederick for a few days. Since he would be passing Sandy point - agreed to meet me Tuesday morning to go dive for lost shotgun.
I got there at 9:00 - Tim on pier with dive gear. Original plan was for Tim to help teach me about dry suit diving but my back was not 100% , and my other friend could not go to stay top side.
Tim is very experienced muck diver - he laughed at this being only 8-9 feet of water , but also took it seriously. We ran south to the GPS numbers - surprised to see crab pots still in the shallows. I took time to put marker buoy about 30 feet off area I had searched on Friday. I was 100% sure I did not miss the shot gun. Tim geared up as I side scanned area - seeing nothing but sandy bottom. Water was 49*.
It was different being top side / diver tender - I doubled checked Tim's gear and we discussed safety of getting the loaded gun on board. Tim went over - I noted time ( 10:01 ) and moved boat about 100 feet away.
![May be an image of ocean]()
I watched Tim's bubbles with binoculars - seeing him go clock wise in an expanding circle search. Circle was getting bigger - 10:30 , he was down half hour. Tim came up - gave me an OK signal and swam to marker jug. I watched his bubbles go straight - laughing as I figured he had dropped the wreck reel line.
Saw bubbles continue the circle - then stop. My hope was Tim had found gun - but then bubbles came straight to the marker. He was reeling himself back in. It was 10:45 - as Tim surfaced with the shotgun.
![May be an image of body of water and nature]()
I pulled anchor and idled back slowly. Tim carefully handed me the shotgun - I swung barrel away and drained it over side.
![May be an image of body of water]()
I laid gun on a towel and helped Tim climb in. Dry suits require much more weights than wetsuits - not easy getting back on the boat. Tim had pulled the center rod from bottom - made it easy to pull up. Tim teased me - could have gotten me closer - lol. I gave it back - saying he still had 50 feet of line left on spool to search. Tim said he was just about to give up when he saw the gun - what good luck. It was actually well off where I had found the anchor - but it was recovered.
While Tim got out of gear - I carefully flushed the gun with few gallons of fresh water - then dried it off. Called owner - he was thrilled.
![No photo description available.]()
Set course east to channel edge - figured we would troll for Rock. I was liking Tim's dry suit - he was not cold at all. Can not wait to get diving in mine.
Got to channel and put 5 rods over - 4 tandems and umbrella on downrigger. Zig zagged along seeing few boats on east edge. I normally do not chase boats but this time of year when few are out - 5-6 boats together often means something good. Mix of LTJ and trollers - no one getting too close. Meter lit up and Tim reeled in a fat 22 incher. He had teased me he was a Jonah - but that fish proved otherwise.
We circled area few times - getting an 18 incher that went back. Trolled into a tide line full of leaves - had to pull and clean all the rods - leaves on the weights but lures clean. Zig zagged north and one rod got crushed. Tim was reeling it in just right when hook pulled. Damn , I'm guessing a 30 to 32 by way the rod bowed.
We trolled up to #88 - talking dive stories and planning a few bay adventures. Got back to ramp about 3:00 - Tim headed up to Frederick. I called gun owner - he met me at my house. He wanted to get gun stripped down and cleaned / oiled ASAP.
It was a fun day and another chapter for my dive book.
I got there at 9:00 - Tim on pier with dive gear. Original plan was for Tim to help teach me about dry suit diving but my back was not 100% , and my other friend could not go to stay top side.
Tim is very experienced muck diver - he laughed at this being only 8-9 feet of water , but also took it seriously. We ran south to the GPS numbers - surprised to see crab pots still in the shallows. I took time to put marker buoy about 30 feet off area I had searched on Friday. I was 100% sure I did not miss the shot gun. Tim geared up as I side scanned area - seeing nothing but sandy bottom. Water was 49*.
It was different being top side / diver tender - I doubled checked Tim's gear and we discussed safety of getting the loaded gun on board. Tim went over - I noted time ( 10:01 ) and moved boat about 100 feet away.
I watched Tim's bubbles with binoculars - seeing him go clock wise in an expanding circle search. Circle was getting bigger - 10:30 , he was down half hour. Tim came up - gave me an OK signal and swam to marker jug. I watched his bubbles go straight - laughing as I figured he had dropped the wreck reel line.
Saw bubbles continue the circle - then stop. My hope was Tim had found gun - but then bubbles came straight to the marker. He was reeling himself back in. It was 10:45 - as Tim surfaced with the shotgun.
I pulled anchor and idled back slowly. Tim carefully handed me the shotgun - I swung barrel away and drained it over side.
I laid gun on a towel and helped Tim climb in. Dry suits require much more weights than wetsuits - not easy getting back on the boat. Tim had pulled the center rod from bottom - made it easy to pull up. Tim teased me - could have gotten me closer - lol. I gave it back - saying he still had 50 feet of line left on spool to search. Tim said he was just about to give up when he saw the gun - what good luck. It was actually well off where I had found the anchor - but it was recovered.
While Tim got out of gear - I carefully flushed the gun with few gallons of fresh water - then dried it off. Called owner - he was thrilled.
Set course east to channel edge - figured we would troll for Rock. I was liking Tim's dry suit - he was not cold at all. Can not wait to get diving in mine.
Got to channel and put 5 rods over - 4 tandems and umbrella on downrigger. Zig zagged along seeing few boats on east edge. I normally do not chase boats but this time of year when few are out - 5-6 boats together often means something good. Mix of LTJ and trollers - no one getting too close. Meter lit up and Tim reeled in a fat 22 incher. He had teased me he was a Jonah - but that fish proved otherwise.
We circled area few times - getting an 18 incher that went back. Trolled into a tide line full of leaves - had to pull and clean all the rods - leaves on the weights but lures clean. Zig zagged north and one rod got crushed. Tim was reeling it in just right when hook pulled. Damn , I'm guessing a 30 to 32 by way the rod bowed.
We trolled up to #88 - talking dive stories and planning a few bay adventures. Got back to ramp about 3:00 - Tim headed up to Frederick. I called gun owner - he met me at my house. He wanted to get gun stripped down and cleaned / oiled ASAP.
It was a fun day and another chapter for my dive book.
